Waterworks was awarded "Best Swim Classes in Orange County" by Parenting OC Magazine for the fifth consecutive year! This award includes both South and North Orange County. We are so appreciative of this award and want to thank all of our loyal customers for their continued support.

As we dig ourselves out of that powdery snow, we will have to get ready for more! Some weather models are predicting three or four more inches of snow are expected on Tuesday. We may be FROZEN but we’re not letting that keep us from the pool! Anyone prone to accident may want to stay away from large, pointy objects; I pulled one from the roof:

But we’ll soon be warmer than ever! March is here and I think certain little mermaids and fishies will be very excited to see the beautiful pools being built right now at Waterworks! Although we’ve regrettably had to delay our opening date, it won’t keep us from offering our classes. And it’s clear that the hardy moms, dads and little ones of Colorado won’t be kept from learning how to swim either. Our instructors are also very excited for the opening! Miss Michelle says, “I’ll see you in the pool guys!” Mr. Daniel is all gooood in the neighborhood and our management staff is getting used to these chilly conditions. Collage time:

We apologize for delays and wish all of you in Littleton, Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, South Glenn, Columbine, Centennial and Castle Pines a merry blizzard! Stay warm and stay safe!

Are you looking for a fun way to play in the water with your Moms Group? Waterworks Aquatics is now offering a Preview Swim Play Date for brand new families!! This preview class is for children between the ages of 3 months and 3 years and will highlight the benefits of infant swimming and water safety. The class will be taught in a group format and is the perfect opportunity for parents and babies to interact in the water. Our pools are heated year-round and indoors at select locations, creating a comfortable fun and playful environment for you and your baby. If a Swim Play Date is of any interest please contact us at outreach@waterworksswim.com

All athletes need motivation. It can stem from the thought of championships or records, but as the University of Arizona swim team has shown, sometimes others are all the motivation we need.

Saturday was rivalry day at Hillenbrand Aquatic Center. It was Arizona versus Arizona State like so many times before. Only this time was different. You see, Saturday was Team Josie.

“Their hearts melted and I think it was love at first sight to be honest with you,” said University of Arizona assistant coach Brandy Maben.

Jocelyn “Josie” Coronado signed a national letter of intent with the University of Arizona swim team. She’s 6-years-old.

“Josie’s energy and her smile light up a room already,” Maben said, “to add that kind of energy and personality on to the team is a blessing for us.”

Josie isn’t a swim prodigy, in fact, she hardly knows how. The bubbly 6-year-old focuses her time and energy on her battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and the Wildcats took notice.

“A friend of mine, when I was 13, was diagnosed with cancer and we did a Team Megan kind of thing,” explained junior swimmer Bonnie Brandon. “I brought that idea to the team and thought it would be a good way to get everyone united and into this cause.”

“The doctors have to tell her, ‘Josie you have to tell us if something hurts’ because she’s always positive about everything and never complains,” said Josie’s mother Joanna. “I think that’s why she was nominated to represent the swimming and diving team here at the UofA.”

Saturday was Josie’s day. While she will certainly will never forget the joy it brought her, she likely doesn’t realize the impact she had on her new teammates.

“They’re inspired by everything she’s going through and everyone knows she’s never sad or never complains,” said Joanna. “She’s always been a fighter and that’s what amazes us. She’s always so positive.”

“The energy in the locker room was so high because we have somebody that we’re swimming for now,” added Brandon. “Somebody who looks up to us and needs us more than ever right now.”

What was Josie’s favorite part?

“Splashing in the water? Yeah.”

She may be shy around the camera, but Josie Coronado is already bringing positive energy to the Wildcat team.

“She already has some ideas for some cheers,” said Maben. “She thinks pink should be involved in our team more than it is, so that might come about.

“On deck she has some skills to be a good coach, so we’ll use her on deck too.”

The date is fast approaching! Waterworks Aquatics is pleased to be opening our first swim school outside of California. And we chose the wonderful state of Colorado! We plan to have a grand opening event in early March with fun activities and crafts for the kids! The new Waterworks Aquatics swim school will be located at 8980 Barrons Blvd. It will have all the amenities any young swimmer could ask of a swim school – large showers, family changing rooms, a suit-drier, a swim shop, a snack bar, parties, and even a treasure chest with toys for our hard-working students!

As you can see, the final finishing touches are being put on the two massive pools. Crews of construction workers have been hard at work plastering tile on the large teaching pool. This is where many of our beginner students will be learning how to swim – the pool itself will be heated from 92° to 93°F. We will also have several of our students’ favorite Disney and Pixar characters hanging from the ceiling!

Everything around the facility is brand new and wrapped in plastic – the grand opening will be like tearing the wrapping off a Christmas present! The main face of the building includes a large wall of blue-stained glass and our lovable mascot Turbo; who *wink wink* may or may not be present at the opening!

The facility will be surrounded by a beautiful view of the mountains and green pastures for miles. Here’s the view from the second floor of the facility:

To boot, the little tots will be looking at ponies on their way to Waterworks! These are just some of the beautiful horses right across the street:

There are also several restaurants and grocery stores nearby such as Vitamin Cottage, Garbanzo, Modmarket, The Corner Bakery Cafe and Festive Cup Coffee. We look forward to seeing all of you at our grand opening event in early March! Thank you to all of those already prepping and taking classes at the Residence Inn. We look forward to our wonderfully heated pools! Stay warm!

The kids still can’t get enough of Nemo, Dory and the crew from Finding Nemo. The family is jonesing for a vacay in the sun, sand and tide. Whatever the reason for the ocean obsession, it’s easy to make a splash with aquatic themed art. Waterworks Aquatics Swim School cast our net and collected seriously awesome under-the-sea aquatic arts & crafts; scroll down to discover easy projects perfect for exploring marine life(no scuba gear required!)

1. Paper Bag JellyfishThese jellyfish won’t sting anyone, but they’ll get everyone’s attention. Paper lunch bags are a must, any paint colors will do (the brighter, the better!) and of course, googly eyes to give your jellies some attitude.

2. Wrap-Up Foil FishYou won’t be dining on these foil wrapped fish. Instead, your aquatic adventurers can create their very own school of swimmers. Little kids can use paint and older crafters may want to try oil pastels(if you’ve got em’) or go-to sharpie markers in bright colors.

4. Ocean in an Egg CartonIt seems like egg-cartons are the foundation of Grab blue paint, shells, jewels and gems, add in some coral-colored paper and the kids will be able to create their very own life-under-the-sea.

5. Clothespin MermaidsYour little Ariel adorers will flip their (imaginary) tails when you set up this adorable art project. Collect items like yarn, glitter and funky foam and any other mermaid accessory. We’re thinking the mini-mermaids crafted out of clothespins are already pretty awesome but the imaginary play to follow? Priceless.

6. Soda Bottle FishIt’s paper mache the easy way with a colorful plastic bottle fish. Artistic mama Lindsey suggests it’s best to prep ahead by making enough forms for each kiddo(you’ll be handling the sharp tools!), cutting out plenty of colorful paper, adding some glue, then leaving the fishy business up to them.

7. Mini AquariumIt’s like your own travel-sized fish tank. Not to mention–for parents with wee ones–a handy way to use up any empty baby food jars. Be sure to have other essential items on hand like glue, paint and of course, foam fishies.

8. Fork Puffer FishUse a fork to create a puffer fish with paint and paper rather than fuel that living-on-the-edge foodie streak. Kids will delight to watch the prickly creature come to life (gotta love the crazy eyes on this guy) with careful tine tapping! Simple materials include paint, paper and of course, a fork.

9. Sea Turtle Treat TrayNot only will your seafaring folk enjoy crafting their very own sea turtle, but they’ll love that you can add a treat under his shell! You’ll have to have strong and sturdy paper plates for this project, as well as markers, gems (for glamming up that turtle shell) and of course, treats to hide (and then share!)

10. Footprint SharksYou won’t have to wait for Shark Week to roll around to enjoy creating fins. Little feet can be the template for these big fish, with tiny toes making the perfect “fin”. Craft blogger and mama Stacey suggests having LOTS of baby wipes on hand, and her tutorial explains how to get that perfect shade of gray.

It all started with a dare amongst friends — who could swim from the California coast to Catalina Island? At just 14 years old, Lynne Cox swam the 27-mile distance between the shores in 12 hours and 36 minutes, beating her two other friends in the process. That was the moment she became hooked on the rush, the challenge, the action of pushing herself beyond limits, both mentally and physically, through long-distance swimming.

We’ve all heard these sayings before: “think big,” “there is nothing to fear but fear itself” and “follow your dreams,” but when I sat down with Lynne Cox to hear her life story, I realized that she embodied all these sayings and more. After boldly declaring that she was going to swim the English Channel, she received full support from her parents, who had her train with Olympic coach Don Gambil, swimming an average of 15 miles each day in preparation. On the day of the big swim, Lynne completed the journey in 9 hours 57 minutes, shattering the women’s record by an hour and the world record by 20 minutes — and she was only 15 years old. Astounded, I asked Lynn how she accomplished such an amazing feat at such a young age? What was going on in her mind? Wasn’t she was scared? And if so, how did she conquer that fear? Because the things that one can face while embarking on such long distance swims are no laughing matter.

Imagine plunging into the cold waters of a vast, dark ocean, not being able to see anything beneath you, nor the shore ahead of you, but just knowing the general direction you are supposed to go. Sure, there are team boats near you to guide you on the swim, but they are also only one strong tidal wave away from running you over, or being pushed far away from you so that you remain lost. You feel slimy, slippery life brush against your body underneath the dark water, but there is no time to stop or even think about what those beings can be. You push yourself for seven hours, hoping that the fog doesn’t roll in and make you invisible to your lifeline, the boats. You finally catch a glimpse of the shoreline as dawn begins to break, only to see it moving backwards as the current changes, and you realize, you’re so very close, but the water has turned against you and you must swim faster and harder than ever to meet your goal on the shore. Imagine all these mental and physical fears, all the while feeling cold, tired, and unsure of what is swimming beneath you. Imagine having all this in your head and still pushing your body beyond its limits in a race against time. How does one deal with such fears that can so easily hijack the brain?

“Reality is you are afraid” Lynn explains. “When you are swimming across a channel at midnight or two or three in the morning and the water is pitch black, you feel things moving underneath you and that can make you so scared. But you have support boats moving around you and when you feel it’s wrong, get out. The fear is there to make it safer…but you should be afraid that the fog might come in, that the boats might run you over – those are good fears. Just have a plan, and focus on what you are trying to do. If you focus on the fear, you’ll never do anything.”

Some fears are innate in our system. If you are walking down a dark alley and you see someone in the corner of your eye, your body’s fight-or-flight mechanism kicks in to let you know that you should remove yourself from the situation. So in that sense, some fear is good. But other fears are only in your mind are mental blocks that are in the way of our goals, that tell us falsehoods like we can’t accomplish our goals because they are too big, too wild, or too scary. And after you shift your focus from your fears to your goals, what comes next? How do we keep ourselves motivated day after day, especially if our goals are so huge that they will require a significant amount time to accomplish, as well as many “learning lessons” along the way?

Lynne’s goal was no joke: breaking a world record. So I asked her, “How do you get into the mindset of breaking a world record?” Not only were Lynne’s parents extremely supportive, but she credits all those involved in every step of the process: her parents, her coach, the inspiring swimmers in her training facility, the team that steered the boat alongside her during the swim, the pilot that did the same from the air, and even the fans cheering her from both shores. “When I was training, I was swimming with swimmers from all over the world who were winning Olympic medals and I said to myself: wow, I want to be just like them. It really does matter who you hang out with. Your mindset is determined by the people around you.”

I had to ask, why did she set out to conquer all these incredible challenges? In the beginning, it was not to gain fame or notoriety; it was simply to overcome challenges in the spirit of adventure. Later in her career, as she continued to break records, her mission expanded to swim in the name of opening borders. Not only is Lynne a fearless adventurer; she is also a peacemaker, and her swims between borders have connected cultures and altered the dynamics between countries wrought with tension and conflict. In 1994, she swam from Egypt to Israel and Israel to Jordan, “as a way to celebrate peace in the Middle East,” as Lynn describes it. Not only did she have people on all three coasts waiting for her and cheering her, but she also had the support of the governments, as well as the Egyptian Navy and Israeli Navy working together to clear the waters for her swim. “When I finished the swim, Queen Noor wound up having a celebration for us in Aqbar, Jordan, so it was a way to really celebrate the progress and positive stuff going on in the Middle East.” The fact that she brought the Naval forces of two formerly conflicting countries to work together to celebrate peace is a remarkable indication of how her swims have brought people together and inspired hope and harmony. Lynne continued to open borders by swimming the Bering Strait, in hopes of fostering communication between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

I was so incredibly impressed with not only Lynn’s accomplishments but also her outlook on life. I asked her what her take-home message was. She answered: “Life is one time. You have to do what you need to do while you are here. People may not understand what you do, and your path may change along the way, but it is incredibly satisfying to set goals for yourself and achieve them.” I think what we all can learn from this amazing woman is to live life to the fullest, and not let our illusions of what we think we can or cannot do stop us from achieving our full potential.

Here is a fun game to play! Swimming Pool Scrabble! Write one letter on a sponge and spread them throughout the pool. Swimmers then dive into the pool and try to collect as many letters as possible. Whoever can create the longest word wins the most points! This game would be a blast to play at Recreation Swim, Family Swim Nights, or Birthday Parties.

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Awarded Best Swim Classes!

Waterworks was awarded "Best Swim Classes in Orange County" by Parenting OC Magazine for the sixth consecutive year! We are appreciative of this award and want to thank all of our loyal customers for their continued support.

Posted on August 5th, 2014

Waterworks - Now Hiring!

Waterworks is opening up multiple locations in the next few months. We’re looking for qualified, motivated, and passionate individuals to join the Waterworks family. Click here to fill out an application today!

Posted on January 21st, 2015

New Location Opening 2015

We’re excited to announce that Waterworks Aquatics is set to open our new Denver location in March 2015! It will be located in the community of Highlands Ranch. Our new indoor facility will offer two pools. A 7 lane, 25-yard lap pool and a large teaching pool with play area. Click here to check out the location.

Posted on October 15th, 2014

Family Swim Night

Come join us for our Family Swim Night on Sunday, March 29th from 4:00pm - 6:00pm! Be sure to invite your friends and family for a great time! Click here for more details. Surf's up!

Posted on February 20th, 2015

Dives and Turns Clinics

We are excited to announce we have added dates for our Dives and Turns Clinics! Click here for more information and to check upcoming dates and times!

Posted on February 25th, 2014

AquaLogix Classes

Our AquaLogix courses provide a great 30-45 minute workout for adults of all ages and abilities. If you are looking to increase your strength and endurance this is the class for you! We've also added a new class type and additional times. Click here for more details.

Posted on February 25th, 2014

Swim Competition

Our next swim competition will be held at 11:30AM in our outdoor pool on March 7th, 2015.